✷BLOG TOUR✷ The Promise by Melody Grace

Claire Fortune arrives in Boston with an old notebook and her best friend’s dying wish – to finish the scribbled bucket list that Hope didn’t have time to complete. Moment by moment, Claire builds a life she never dreamed of – until Theo walks into the coffee-shop one crisp September afternoon, and her careful plans scatter on the winds.

Sometimes a chance meeting can change a life forever.
Sometimes fate knows exactly what we need.

Perfect for fans of ‘Me Before You’ and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, ‘The Promise’ brings together two people searching for a love that can overcome tragedy. A heartbreakingly romantic novel that challenges us to live – and love - every day as if it were our last.

Arianna’s Review

‘The Promise’ was my second book by this author and certainly won’t be my last because I really enjoyed her storytelling and her writing style. While the first book I’ve read by her was sweet and sexy, this one was heartbreaking beautiful, but I enjoyed it as much. Reading the blurb, I expected this story to be emotional in some way or another, but I’ve never expected to be so gut-wrenching and so intense. ‘The Promise’ is a story about love, friendship and so much more that will suck you in and make you feel from the very beginning.

“…no matter how hard we try: the earth kept spinning its slow, lazy arc as we lived and loved and felt our hearts swell and bloom and break. This was all we had. This was our beautiful world. And I was finally ready for the end.”

Claire Fortune spent all her life in a small town outside of San Antonio, but recently she moved in Boston alone. Without any family or friends, just with a notebook that reminds her of her old life, Claire wants to finish a bucket list. Not her bucket list, but her best friend Hope, who unfortunately didn’t have the chance to complete it. Claire promised Hope she will finish her bucket list, that will live for both of them, that will live every day like it’s her last, so she’s determined to do exactly that. She finds an apartment to rent with some other girl, she gets a job, she starts making some friends, enjoying her new life and freedom more than she thought she will. Since the timing is not right in more ways than one, Claire doesn’t look for a boyfriend, but from the moment she lays her eyes on a boy who comes in the coffee shop where she works, she’s smitten and so very interested to know who he is.

“My heart leaps up when I behold/A rainbow in the sky.”

Theo has his own personal issues he needs to deal with. A relationship is the last thing he’s looking for right now, but when he meets Claire he’s taken aback by how beautiful, different and so refreshing she is. Neither of them expects their relationship to evolve from strangers to something more in such a short time or that their lives to change irrevocably, but fate has other plans.

“We were gravity, we were the earth’s true orbit, inexorably drawn together under that midnight sky for just one purpose; the simplest thing in the world.

A kiss.”

‘The Promise’ was beautifully written, emotional, but also so very sweet. The story’s premise was nothing new, but the execution was quite good and while I found the story line to be a little predictable at times, I enjoyed Claire and Theo’s journey. It was a sad, bitter sweet journey that made me feel, it was raw, though-provoking and made my heart ache.

I liked Claire a lot. Her character was pretty well developed and I felt deeply for as the story unfolded and her “secret” was revealed. My heart broke for this girl who was so brave and had so much strength. I loved her determination, how courageous she was, how much she tried to live every day to the fullest. Overall, she was a great, inspiring character I admired very much. Theo was great as well, but to be honest his character’s development was not as good as Claire’s. Personally I would have wanted the story to be written in dual POV, not only from Claire’s perspective, because I’m sure I would have felt differently. Theo was sweet and caring, patient at times and considerate and pretty awesome for our heroine.

“…suddenly my entire universe had been reduced to a raw, feral need. More of him. All of him. Anything I could take, and give, anything I could feel.”

Despite the fact the dynamic between them changed pretty quickly after they met, their relationship didn’t feel rushed, which I enjoyed. I loved all the sweet and tender moments between them, their friendship, but I wanted a little more honesty between them. I also would have liked the two main characters to be more physical portrayed.

All in all, ‘The Promise’ was a sweet, emotional read with a great love story and a wonderful message.

About the Author:

2 I spent my childhood with my nose in a book before deciding to try and write one myself. I love all kinds of genres – from thrillers to YA and mystery – but romance has always been a passion of mine.